Neigbors
by KathrynElaineDonahue
Summary: A chance encounter with a new neighbor leaves Albus feeling amused.


A/N: This round we were supposed to switch it up with a family and the normal genre we typically see them with. So, I've been given a HUMOROUS story about Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Prompts are listed below.

Prompts:

#3: (word) radiant

#12: (word) mystic

 **Neighbors**

It had been an extremely long morning for Albus Dumbledore. He had tried his best to get everything unpacked and sorted before going on a walk to the village, but he hadn't been able to put away everything in that house. He was exhausted, and he knew that a nice walk and possibly a little rest and relaxation was what he needed to bring himself up a bit. Besides, it was a breezy summer afternoon and there didn't seem to be any threats of thunderstorms in the next couple of hours. He was just making an assumption due to how radiant the sun was at that particular moment. It made the entire morning look beautiful and mystic. However, weather can be so unpredictable which is precisely why he liked it so much.

Albus loved this time of year when he could see most of the Hogwarts students coming back to their homes for summer break. He smiled at the blooming flowers that seemed to only appear as he walked by them. That's when he saw him. There was this tall and thin boy standing in the walkway right in front of Bathilda Bagshot's house. Her house was conveniently located near the park that Albus liked to visit frequently, and Albus had never seen the boy before. It was almost as if he didn't know you shouldn't wear a completely black ensemble in summer and that long sleeves were best for the cold winter air.

"Good afternoon," Albus said cheerfully.

He had hoped to gain some sort of reaction out of the boy, but he received nothing. He didn't even receive acknowledgment of his greeting.

"It's quite a warm day out," Albus tried again.

He was, admittedly, taking a delicate stab at the way that this boy was dressed, but he still received no kind of reaction. Even a curse would have been welcomed at this point; it would cut the awkward social encounter a tad with just a small acknowledgment.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" the boy spoke.

"That all depends. Did you find it funny?" Albus questioned.

"Not in the least."

"Then it wasn't meant to be funny." Albus chuckled.

"Yet you're laughing." The boy turned around.

"I'm laughing at the situation," Albus informed.

The boy just nodded and turned back around to stare at the house. Albus was still confused at his actions and decided to make another attempt at a joke.

"I do believe that contraption you are staring at has knobs. You see, if you turn that knob the door will open. It's quite simple really,"

"I know how a door works," the boy snapped.

"I can see that I'm bothering you," Albus noted.

"Great. I was beginning to think that you couldn't see it."

"You don't seem very familiar. What is your name?" Albus wondered.

"Gellert Grindelwald."

That was where Albus had seen him. He knew that he looked a tad familiar, but he couldn't figure it out. Now he remembered seeing his picture in the Daily Prophet. Gellert was known for dark and twisted magic. He was a former student at Durmstrang, but he had been expelled.

"Ah, I seem to have heard that name. I'm Albus Dumbledore," Albus introduced himself.

"I have heard of you as well," Gellert answered.

"Well, I'll be on my way to the park," Albus informed.

Gellert just nodded without looking back at the man talking to him. He had no interest in his whereabouts or where he was heading. He wasn't even sure why he had stopped to have a conversation.

That was when Albus saw it. It was a blatantly obvious part of Gellert's wardrobe that Albus felt needed to be addressed immediately. He just didn't know how to tell him.

"Um, pardon me but-" Albus started but was cut off.

Gellert rolled his eyes and turned around to glare at the man talking to him.

"What could it be now? What else could you possibly have to say to me? I don't want to talk about the weather; I know what a door does; I know how windows work; I can see the sidewalk; I'm tired and I just don't want to go inside. Is there anything else that you dare to ask me?" Gellert snapped.

Albus wanted to choose his words carefully so that he didn't upset the boy, but there was really no sensitive way to relay the information that he must tell him. He was in public with this problem even if he was just on the outside of the house.

"I just thought you should know-" Albus was cut off again.

"No, I don't need to know. I need you to be on your way. Good day!" he shouted and turned back around.

Albus couldn't help but smile a bit at the unfortunate event happening for this poor fellow. He couldn't have been much younger than he, but he was being treated quite terribly for someone with a bit more seniority.

"I see. Good day to you as well," Albus said, turning to go down the path towards his favorite spot in the park.

However, he just couldn't let the boy be embarrassed. He wanted to do that himself.

"By the way, Gellert, you have toilet tissue stuck to the bottom of your shoe," Albus said quickly before turning around and laughing to himself.

Gellert Grindelwald scrambled to fix the situation, but by the time he had fixed it, Albus was already well up the path and out of earshot. He couldn't see the small half-smile that formed once everything was over. Instead, he picked up his suitcase that had been there as long as he had been and went inside.

He had no idea that friendship was something he gained from a small, yet embarrassing, incident like that.


End file.
